Rangers sign Del Zotto, Gilroy

Del Zotto’s deal is reportedly two years, $5.1 million; Gilroy’s is one year, $650,000 or so.

Hope to have audio for youse later.

From the NYR:

RANGERS AGREE TO TERMS WITH DEFENSEMAN MICHAEL DEL ZOTTO

NEW YORK, January 13, 2013 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with defenseman Michael Del Zotto on a new contract.

Del Zotto, 22, established career-highs with 10 goals and 31 assists for 41 points, along with 36 penalty minutes and a career-best, plus-20 rating in 77 games last season. He also set career-highs in blocked shots (95), shorthanded goals (one), shorthanded assists (two), shorthanded points (three), game-winning goals (two), and shots on goal (113). Del Zotto led all team defensemen in goals, assists and points, and ranked fifth on the team overall in points and power play points (14), fourth in assists, and second in power play assists (13).

The Stouffville, Ontario native reached the 10-goal/40-point marks for the first time with a career-high, three-point performance (two goals, one assist), while skating in his 200th career NHL game on March 30 against Montreal. He notched both goals in the third period of the contest to become the first Rangers defenseman to accomplish the feat since James Patrick in 1988.

Selected as the Rangers’ first round choice, 20th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Del Zotto made his playoff debut last season, finishing fourth among NHL defensemen in points (10), tied for fourth in assists (eight), sixth in goals (two), third in power play assists (three) and second in power play points (four). He tied for fourth on the team in points, third in assists, second in power play assists and second in power play points. Del Zotto notched the series-clinching goal at 10:05 of the third period, and added an assist, on May 12 in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series against Washington.

The 6-0, 195-pounder has skated in 204 career NHL games in three seasons with the Rangers, registering 21 goals and 68 assists for 89 points, along with 88 penalty minutes. Del Zotto was named to the 2010 NHL All-Rookie Team after leading all NHL rookies in power play assists (18), and finishing second in power play points (22), tied for fifth in power play goals (four) and seventh in points (37) during the 2009-10 season. He was named NHL Rookie of the Month for October that season, registering 12 points and three power play goals in 14 games. Del Zotto notched the game-winning goal while making his NHL debut on October 3, 2009 against Ottawa to become the first teenager to tally a goal for the Rangers since Manny Malhotra in 1998-99, and the second youngest defensemen in team history to accomplish the feat behind Red Garrett.

RANGERS AGREE TO TERMS WITH FREE AGENT DEFENSEMAN MATT GILROY

NEW YORK, January 13, 2013 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with free agent defenseman Matt Gilroy.

Gilroy, 28, has registered six goals and nine assists for 15 points in 34 games with the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League (AHL) this season, after signing with the team as a free agent on October 8. He leads all Whale defensemen in goals, is tied for first in points and second in assists. He is also tied for second on Connecticut with four power play goals. Gilroy has recorded three multi-point efforts, including two, two-goal performances on October 19 at Norfolk and November 23 at Bridgeport. He ranked fourth on the team in scoring in November with eight points, and tied for second on the Whale with four goals in 10 games.

The North Bellmore, New York native split last season between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators, establishing NHL career-highs in assists (17), points (20) and hits (59) in 67 games. Gilroy also recorded a career-high, four multi-point performances, including three multi-assist efforts. He began the season with Tampa Bay, where he ranked second among team defensemen in assists (15) and points (17) at the time of his trade to Ottawa on February 27. Gilroy also skated in three playoff contests with the Senators.

The 6-1, 199-pounder has skated in 194 career NHL games in three seasons with the Rangers, Tampa Bay and Ottawa, registering 10 goals and 36 assists for 46 points, along with 55 penalty minutes and a plus-seven rating. He returns to the Rangers where he has recorded seven goals and 19 assists for 26 points in 127 games from 2009-10 to 2010-11, after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent on April 17, 2009. Gilroy made his NHL debut on October 2, 2009 at Pittsburgh, and tallied his first career NHL point with the game-winning goal on October 5, 2009 at New Jersey. He tied for sixth among NHL rookie defensemen with a career-high, four goals that season. In 2010-11, Gilroy notched a goal while making his NHL playoff debut on April 13 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Washington.

Prior to turning professional, Gilroy skated in four seasons with Boston University of Hockey East, registering 25 goals and 67 assists for 92 points, along with 46 penalty minutes and a plus-78 rating in 160 career collegiate contests. In 2008-09, he captured the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top player in collegiate hockey, and was named as a First Team All-American after captaining the Terriers to their fifth NCAA championship.

The only reason why a team would ever need to invoke the LTIR would be in order exceed the salary cap. Therefore, the Rangers salary cap is essentially 71.45 million regardless of whether they can invoke it yet. It doesn’t matter that they can’t do it right now, the end result is still the same.

For example let’s say Sather decided to sign Jason Arnott and give him a 1 year 3 million dollar contract it would put the Rangers over the 70.2 million dollar threshold. However, they could simply put Sauer on LTIR and the Rangers would be able to sign Arnott and have the cap move to 71.45.

Therefore, the Rangers salary cap for this season is technically 71.45 million even though they cannot invoke LTIR until the Rangers cap reaches 68.95 million.

Stu Bickel is the spare forward and will be starting on the 4th line with Eminger entering the lineup on defense as Asham is suspended for the first game of the season. The Rangers intend to carry just one spare player as Gilroy is likely to be sent back to HFD when the season starts.

Personally I don’t think Bickel should ever play forward in an NHL game. I would like to see them carry free agent Jed Ortmeyer at the veteran minimum as the healthy scratch simply for nostalgic purposes.

I think Hrivik was supposed to be at camp but then he got a concussion. I am sure some other people will come to camp for a few days. Probably not much difference between leaving our 13th and 14th Forward in Hartford playing actual games and bringing them up to run drills. Probably want those guys to have as much game experience as possible. I expect Haley to be brought up for the 13th man.

I disagree with Oleo. I actually think Bickel will be our #6 D-Man and will hold that position.

Yea. Fair enough, Oleo. I love what Bickel brings to the table as far as size and fists go. I don’t mind him adding size and punch to the 4th line. But I actually like what he brings to the table defensively, it’s just a bit scary to put him with Strahlman because if Stahlzy misses his hip checks then it’s up to Bickel to protect.

I guess Gilroy is like a not so great version of Del Zaster. Maybe they see him as a 14th man? Who knows.

While I’m very skeptical about Hagelin-Stepan-Callahan, the propsect of Nash, Richards and Gaborik on the same line is quite scary for opposing teams. Personally I’d rather see Gaborik on the 2nd line since he worked really well with Stepan and Hagelin last season…

Totally fine with that. I just think that if Kreider is as good as he was in the playoffs and Hagelin’s speed helps open things up for Gaborik then Callahan needs to be on a line that suits his style and grind, grind, grind.

Here is my reasoning. Gaborik is a true “scorer” whatever that means. His line has to be built entirely around getting the puck to him in the slot where he can rip quick shots at an unsuspecting goaltenders. I think Stepan is a perfect centre to set him up for that and, personally, I like Hagelin or some sort of speed threat on the other side. That line has to be 100% about Gaborik.

The Top line wil most likely be more of a three pronged attack which you get with Richards centering Nash and Kreider. Strong shots from all sides.

It also depends on Hagelin as well. He was terrible offensively the last two months of the season/playoffs and while that’s probably more the result of him never playing that many games in his life, it’s still a minor concern.

0 goals and 4 assists in his last 27 games to end the year was unacceptable for a top 6 player…

rough go? why because he did not score a goal in the playoffs. i thought he played well despite not scoring. I think Kreider is more important to step up. Hagelin, to me, can play 2nd or 3rd line wing. his game fits both. Kreider needs to find his way into the top 6. I don’t think his game fits a 3rd line checking role.

Maybe Bickel worked on his foot speed this summer. He might approach rumen ndur status out there. I go back to my original post. Those other teams don’t want to play us right off the bat. We will put 5-1 beat downs on philthy and the pen()s. the bruins may take an extra period. The laffs? I smell 7-0 both record and score. At least on paper

the lines I would use are not the same as what I think Torts will use. mine would go like this.
Nash, Richards, and Cally.
Kreider, Stepan, and Gabby.
Pyatt, Boyle, and Hagelin.
Rupp, Halpern, and Asham.
I think Torts is going to flip Cally and Gabby, as well as Hagelin and Kreider.

bull dog line, I know you were asking ilb, but I can field the flu vaccination question too. To my knowledge, there’s no danger in getting overlapping flu shots. If it were me, i’d get another flu vaccination. Ask the professional giving the injection to be sure, but it should be just fine.